Chapter 357

Gu Kang's words left Gu Shijie speechless; he stared fixedly at his own biological son.

The anger in his eyes wanted to burn to death the rebellious little brat before him.

After a while, Gu Shijie's facial expression forced itself to relax, though it was somewhat distorted; to Gu Kang's eyes it seemed utterly unfamiliar.

He stared fixedly at Gu Kang: "Even if we are half‑brothers sharing the same father, why must you push things to the extreme?"

"Yes, the eldest brother is indeed innocent this time," Gu Kang sighed slowly, setting his teacup on the table.

"Father also knows that Princess Changping favors our eldest brother; the eldest brother could not possibly ignore the lovely Princess Changping and instead sneak through a secret passage to love the withered Consort Duan."

"Impudent! What nonsense are you spouting, daring to gossip about the imperial consorts?" Gu Shijie jumped in shock.

"His own son is far too bold; he had thought his eldest and third sons were already daring enough, but this boy before him seems downright mad."

Gu Kang laughed: "So the secret passage leading to the palace wasn't dug by the eldest brother, and he doesn't even know about it; since we can't catch the mastermind this time, we can only seize the eldest brother as a scapegoat."

"Moreover, Emperor Longqing is narrow‑minded and cares only for face; now that such a major incident has occurred, his reputation is utterly ruined, and if we don't kill a few people, it will be hard to quell his anger."

With a crash, the teacup Gu Shijie was holding fell to the ground and shattered.

His face turned ashen; he needed no reminder from this green‑horned boy before him.

After so many years navigating the court, how could he not know Emperor Longqing's character?

As emperor, his ability is insufficient; he cannot control his subordinates.

Moreover, he indulges in pleasure and seeks grand achievements, which has given the eight great families an opportunity to monopolize governance, leaving the people unable to make a living.

He is essentially a muddleheaded ruler, though for the sake of face he retains a modicum of ambition.

Now that a scandal has erupted in Consort Duan's sleeping quarters, the emperor is eager to find someone to make an example of, and it just so happens that his own son has walked into the knife's edge—if not Gu Cheng, who else should be killed?

He stared fixedly at his second son, his expression shifting slightly; after a long while he sighed, rose slowly, and walked over to Gu Kang.

Yet he bowed down before Gu Kang, an action that startled Gu Kang.

Gu Kang hastily rose to his feet; although he hated the man before him intensely, after all he was his biological father, so he could not go too far in violating filial propriety.

Gu Shijie rose slowly, looked at his son, his voice trembling slightly: "Gu Kang, Father knows you still resent me; Father had you expelled from the Gu family back then, so your resentment is justified."

"But your eldest brother cannot die, for the future of the Gu family is closely tied to him; if your eldest brother dies, what will become of the Gu family?"

After Gu Shijie said that, Gu Kang froze for a moment, then suddenly felt like laughing.

I never expected that, even at this point, Father would still be protecting Gu Cheng.

From childhood onward, Father's love for Gu Cheng has far exceeded that for his legitimate son.

Even now that Gu Cheng has committed such a grave mistake, Father still shields him, and Gu Kang inevitably feels a sense of oppression and indignation welling up in his heart.

The man before him is beyond redemption.

Gu Kang let out a soft laugh: "Forget it; out of respect for Father's dignity, I'll merely give him a reminder."

"Back when Consort Duan entered the palace, she once had a lover named Chen Fu'an."

Gu Shijie's face instantly shifted slightly, his eyes flickering.

He had heard of this person, who is now the deputy commander of the Border Guan Duan army, commanding countless warriors.

Chen Fu'an is said to be an adopted son taken in by Consort Duan's father, a child under the Marquis of Duan, equivalent to being entrusted to the Marquis of Duan.

He grew up alongside Consort Duan from childhood, childhood sweethearts, and their feelings still exist.

However, after the imperial concubine selection, Consort Duan entered the palace and won the emperor's deep favor, whereupon Chen Fu'an gave up his longing and went to the frontier to lead troops in battle.

Now his standing in the military is very high, second only to the son of the Marquis of Duan, the Pillar‑of‑the‑State General Duan Tianming.

One could say that virtually every tough battle fought by the Duan family army was won by Chen Fu'an.

Even now Chen Fu'an remains unmarried, and his martial prowess is formidable; he serves as the martial arts master for the three sons of Duan Tianming.

Gu Kang smiled: "If this secret passage was indeed built, it likely has countless connections to Chen Fu'an; we should look into his affairs, but…"

Gu Kang gathered his thoughts, lifted his head to look at his father, and said: "What sort of family is the Duan clan? Does Father have the resolve to contend with them to the bitter end for the sake of the eldest brother? Dare he single out Chen Fu'an? That will depend on Father's resolve."

"In short, I believe that this time either Chen Fu'an or the eldest brother must die."

Gu Kang's words left Gu Shijie's face ashen, and he kept stepping back, his brows knotted tightly as he stared in disbelief at Gu Kang, as if meeting his own son for the first time.

"You… how do you know all this? You used to be…"

Gu Shijie felt embarrassed to finish the sentence, for previously Gu Kang was a good‑for‑nothing who knew nothing, yet now he even knows such confidential matters of the Duan family.

Gu Shijie was even more convinced that this boy certainly knows the secret of the passage, though now he is sending his own eldest son in as a target.

At this moment Gu Shijie feels as if he's being roasted over a fire; what sort of family is the Gu clan?

If Du Yushan, that old fogey, were still alive, the Gu family could rely on the Du family and thus would not fear confronting the Duan clan.

But now the Gu family amounts to nothing; to move against the premier Duan family in this situation is tantamount to seeking a tiger's skin, and his heart immediately filled with apprehension.

Gu Kang watched his father's unease, let out a laugh, and said slowly: "Father, son would like to remind you: between the eldest brother and the Gu family, whom do you intend to protect?"

"Yes, the Duan family has wealth and power, but Father must not forget that the Duan family's sole reliance, Xiao Wei, has become a eunuch and is now nothing."

"The Duan family's current position is extremely awkward; if we add Chen Fu'an to the mix, letting the Duan family lose half its strength would also be feasible."

"But this time Father cannot hide behind the scenes; he must step forward and bear the brunt against the Duan family."

"I ask you, how do you know all this? Speak! How do you know?" Gu Shijie's forehead beaded with fine cold sweat as he lowly roared at Gu Kang.

Gu Kang looked at the outwardly strong but inwardly weak Gu Shijie, his eyes turning slightly cold: "Father, I have my own reasons for knowing these things; you need not ask."

"Now that I too have entered the court, Father, do you think I, Gu Kang, can still remain aloof?"

"I still say the same thing: Father, if you seize Chen Fu'an's leverage and push the Duan family to the forefront, the eldest brother will be merely an accomplice, the one framed by the Duan family, and will naturally be released from prison."

Gu Shijie's face turned a deathly gray; he faintly sensed that his son intended to deal with the eight great families, but was using the Gu family as the first blade.

He stared fixedly at his son before him, his eyes already turned blood‑red.

He had no recourse; he turned and walked out, not even uttering a greeting.

Steward Zhang entered, picked up the shards on the floor, gazed at Gu Kang standing in the main hall, and couldn't help but murmur softly: "Sir, you are truly kind‑hearted. Indeed you are still willing to lend a hand to the Gu family's eldest son."

"Hah!" Gu Kang laughed: "Who said I want to save him? The good show has only just begun."